Assessing the emotional and behavioral impact of community and extra curricular activities, police contact, and collective efficacy among youth

Abstract

ABSTRACT A broad body of research suggests that interactions with the police can have a negative impact on emotional and behavioral outcomes among youth. Therefore, developing interventions that simultaneously reduce youth involvement in criminalized activities and promote positive outcomes for youth are foundational to creating a just society. The present study examines the emotional and behavioral impact that police contact, community and extracurricular activities, and collective efficacy have on youth. Our findings suggest that participation in community and extracurricular activities is associated with positive youth outcomes. Of the two components of collective efficacy, social cohesion had a strong association with emotional and behavioral outcomes whereas informal social control did not. Our findings emphasize the importance of community engagement and community involvement when developing community-level interventions that simultaneously address participation in criminalized behaviors and promote positive emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth.